iPhone Life magazine
Don’t buy a used iPhone before you check if it’s unlocked! If the iPhone you purchase is locked, you may be stuck with a phone service provider you don’t want. Here’s how to find an iPhone’s IMEI and serial number, then check if the iPhone is unlocked.
To read a step-by-step tutorial visit:
Before buying a used iPhone, use one of these three ways to know if your iPhone is unlocked or locked. You can check if the iPhone is unlocked in Settings, with the SIM card, or using an online resource. We’ll go over each method, so you can check if your iPhone is unlocked. But, what does “unlocked phone” mean? An unlocked iPhone is not associated with any particular cellular service provider and can therefore connect to any carrier. Unlocked iPhones, when sold used, are worth more as well. Once we cover what it means when an iPhone is unlocked, we’ll go over how to tell if your iPhone is unlocked or locked.
How Do I Know If My Phone Is Unlocked? Three Ways to Check If Your iPhone Is Unlocked
There are lots of iPhone IMEI checkers online, and some of them show you if your iPhone is unlocked. I’ll recommend a resource that works to check if your iPhone is unlocked. However, some iPhones allow you to check if it’s unlocked from within settings. You can also use the SIM card from the iPhone to check if it’s unlocked. If you just need to check if your iPhone is unlocked, jump to the how-to. But if you have questions about what unlocked iPhone means, we’ll cover that next.
What Does “Unlocked Phone” & “Locked Phone” Mean?
An iPhone that’s unlocked can connect to any carrier. If your iPhone is unlocked, you could switch from Sprint to Verizon tomorrow and your same phone will work just fine. iPhones that have been completely paid for and bought directly from Apple are likely to be unlocked. But if you bought the iPhone through a carrier on a contract, the phone will be locked until the contract is over and paid in full. It’s also possible to buy a used, locked iPhone that becomes unlocked later on when the previous owner has finished their contract. That’s why it’s important to know whether the iPhone you’re buying is unlocked or not. So to recap:
1. Locked iPhones are stuck with a carrier; unlocked iPhones are free to use with any carrier.
2. Paid-for iPhones direct from Apple are usually unlocked.
3. iPhones leased from a carrier will be locked for the duration of the lease.
4. Unlocked iPhones will fetch more money when sold.